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John Porter

John Porter, Heirlooms, Hybrids, and GMOs – Oh My!

John Porter recently began work as the Urban Agriculture Program Coordinator and Extension Assistant Professor for Nebraska Extension in Omaha. His position includes both extension outreach and the development and teaching of a new 2 year Urban Agriculture degree program with the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture. Previous to this position, he served eight years as the Ag and Natural Resources agent for West Virginia University in Charleston, WV, where he was the master gardener coordinator and developed innovative programming in the areas of urban agriculture and horticulture. He is an avid garden writer, which he shares on social media and online. He has a BS degree in Botany/Biology from Marshall University and a MS degree in Horticulture from West Virginia University.

Heirlooms, Hybrids, and GMOs – Oh My! What is an heirloom? What is a hybrid? Is a hybrid a GMO? There’s much confusion these days about the genetics of common garden seeds. As Master Gardeners, it is important to be able to understand and educate the public on emerging issues using scientifically sound information. In this workshop, we’ll learn the basic science behind the terms heirloom, hybrid, and GMO and discuss current controversies surrounding genetic engineering. We’ll clear up some misconceptions and help provide valuable information that can help Master Gardeners answer some of the hot-button issues of the day.